It is hard to get honest feedback on your artwork.
Really, what would you say if a friend/colleague/family member asked what you thought of this object they’d slaved over for hours/days/weeks? You’d say “it’s very nice” and look for something to praise about it. You don’t want to hurt their feelings, and the artwork may even be pretty good.
Even a random person off the street would get the “it’s nice” treatment, because you never know if they’re going to go nuts and start yelling at you if you say anything remotely negative. Plus you want people to think you are a nice person, not one of those snooty critics who thinks they are smarter than anyone else.
This applies to online acquaintances too: have you ever read a blog post asking for feedback? And have you ever left one that was NOT positive? Not me, I can tell you that. I’ve never read a decent comment from anyone else either. Trust me, I look… and it’s all happiness and support. You never know how people will take honest critiques, and no one wants a reputation as a jerk.
All this niceness never helped any artist grow.
The artists who grow are the ones who get feedback on what is NOT working so they can take a second look and fix the problem, as well as on what IS working so they don’t wreck those parts during their improvement process. You’ve got to have both, but it’s hard to find someone willing to risk your wrath.
My sister signed me on as her “critique partner” when she started writing novels. As with any beginner, there was a lot that needed improvement. However, she undeniably had talent that I didn’t want to see stymied, so I squared my shoulders and told her what she obviously did not want to hear. Several years and many tears later, she’s really good.
But what do you do when you don’t have a twin sister who knows you can’t just cut them out of your life and therefore is willing to piss you off?
Ask a question they CAN’T wiggle out of. Here’s a great one (and I heard about it here):
What don’t you like about my work?
Don’t let them say nothing. There’s always something. Don’t ask for positives until they’ve given up some negatives. Don’t ask “What do you think?” or “It’s good, right?”
And do your part in return, if they give you that negative feedback. Don’t bite their head off! Go into it knowing you’re going to hear something you won’t like, and may never agree with. Just accept it, and listen with a blank expression on your face. Pass no judgement (yet) on their judgement. Write down what they say. Use a tape recorder if your blood boils so much you can’t remember the words.
You don’t have to act on all of their comments; Lord knows my sister ignored a good bit of what I said (as she should– she’s the writer, not me!). It is just a place to begin thinking about possible improvements. Think hard about everything they say, and decide what you think about it. But you have to ask the right question to start the process.
Category: Ceramics & Mosaics, General, Graphic Design
